Who is allowed to look at medical records? Questions and answers

Questioner

Question: Who is allowed to look at a medical and nursing file? Are only the care providers involved allowed to do this (doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, etc.), or is an exception made for, for example, the department head of a nursing ward within a hospital (a department head who does NOT wear a uniform himself and has absolutely no treatment relationship with the patient). Files (reports, among other things) are read to check whether we are working as our department head wants us to work. Is this allowed with regard to the patient's privacy?

Lawyer

A medical file may not be presented to just anyone. Medical staff is bound by professional secrecy and a file may not be presented to just anyone without the patient's explicit consent. If the head of the department is not a doctor himself, he is in violation and could be reprimanded and prosecuted. The same goes for doctors and nursing staff. If the head of the department is also a doctor, he is also bound by professional secrecy and may review these files to judge whether the correct action is being taken. Ultimately, it is important in healthcare to maintain high quality.